September 19, 2024 – Rwanda has become the first African country to administer vaccines against the Mpox virus, as announced by the African Union's Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC). The initial batch of 300 doses was administered on Tuesday, September 17, targeting several hundred high-risk individuals near Rwanda’s border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has been the hardest-hit by the virus.
The DRC has reported nearly 22,000 cases and over 700 deaths from Mpox between January and August 2024. Africa CDC Director General Jean Kaseya confirmed that the DRC is scheduled to launch its own vaccination campaign in early October.
Mpox, formerly known as monkeypox, is a viral infection transmitted from animals to humans and can spread through close physical contact. The virus can be deadly in certain cases, causing fever, muscle aches, and large skin lesions resembling boils.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recently prequalified the MVA-BN Mpox vaccine, allowing global health agencies to begin procuring it. The vaccine is recommended for adults in a two-dose regimen, with four weeks between injections.
Africa CDC reports a total of 29,152 Mpox cases and 738 deaths across 15 African nations. Kaseya emphasized that the virus is not yet under control, highlighting the ongoing issue of limited testing—only half of suspected cases are being tested. The agency aims to increase testing coverage to over 80%.
In a separate briefing, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus raised concerns about the rising number of Mpox outbreaks in multiple regions, with the situation in Burundi and the DRC being particularly worrisome.
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